KYsunshine

I love love love the stories from folks about their first week or so....it really helps me to know what to expect. This was a great posting...your walking is an inspiration to me....I hope I can have as good a recovery as you did! Keep up the great great work! KYsunshine

Okay, so I just got directed to this discussion....this is where I belong (such a nice feeling....my own group of May bandsters!) My date is May 16...here in Louisville, KY....anyone else out there from/in Louisville? Dr. Lusco....cute and so very very nice. So, May 16 sounds/seems so very far away...I have not received any instructions yet about pre-surgery prep stuff....how did you all find out what you are to do/eat/not eat? I have all my lab work scheduled for May 4 and they said to plan on being there about 5-6 hours and wear exercise shoes.....and there is a nutrition class that day as well. So, I wonder if that is when we are told what to eat/not eat? Regardless, I have been watching carbs and increasing Protein for a while now....since November and have lost 46 pounds. I am telling myself to plan on eating only liquids/mushy beginning the first of May with the bulk being protein, but that is my own self talking, based on all I am reading here on this forum. Thanks, to a previous poster in this thread, for pointing out what is in the FAQ about the pre-op stuff....will look at that now. We are all going to make it! Question.....how do you all get those cute little things at the end of your messages that tell how much you weigh/all time high/ goal weight and the little "timeline" thingy? KYsunshine

soon2bbanded, where will you have your surgery and how did you even find out about the one day liquids pre-op? welcome to the first person who will share my new birthday! KYsunshine

I am in Louisville, KY and get banded May 16. I have not been given any instructions yet on a pre-op surgery....I am just learning from everyone here on the forum what to do. I go May 4 for all my lab work and they said to plan on being there for 6 hours or so. I wonder if that is when they will give me pre-op instructions.....regardless, I plan to do a full 14 days of a pre-op diet, mainly of liquids/puree/mushy with low carbs to shrink the liver...... Good to have a bunch of us May banders! KYsunshine

My favorite Protein shake is XS Protein Shake with Nutrilite. They have 35 gms of protein and they are the only shake that actually fill me up....most Protein shakes are just like Water to me. Even before being approved for the surgery, I was drinking them, and love them. They are a fast breakfast for me when I am on the run. KYsunshine surgery scheduled for 5/16/07

This forum is so very helpful....learning a lot from reading others' postings. Yes, bit nervous, but so very ready. It is many life changes....no drinking while eating or right after eating, chewing to mush, less quantity, exercise a priority; however, I am determined to HAVE a life (am 54), so this is essential for me. While reading everyone's postings, it is quite encouraging and takes much of the nervousness away. KYsunshine

Hi there Soon2bbanded..... I too will be banded on May 16.....where will you have this done? I am in Louisville at St. Mary's with Dr. Lusco. KYsunshine

Thanks for this posting, Amwlady...I am up for the surgery on May 16 and your day by day diary this week was great. I appreciate your sharing. KYsunshine

I have a ton of sick leave built up and have booked 2 1/2 weeks of sick leave after the surgery. Although my job is mainly a "desk job," there are occasions we pack and lift boxes, medium amount of walking around, etc. SO, I am taking the Friday - Tuesday off before surgery (5/16, Wednesday) and then will go back on June 4, Monday. I am looking forward to having some time off and concentrate on exercising and beginning the new way of living. Will keep you all posted on how this goes! KYsunshine in Louisville, KY

Hello out there. I have done some reading on this website, and just tonight saw this strand for folks from Kentucky. I would love to hear from some of you "old timers" who have been posting on here for a while....What is happening now? What is going on for all of you, AFTER the initial blush/honeymoon with the surgery? I had Humana insurance through my company and then my husband changed jobs and we had the opportunity to switch to Anthem. Before we would do the switch, I read everything from their policy's handbook to discover if they would indeed cover this surgery - our company's Humana policy would not cover any weight loss surgery - and yes, Anthem would cover it with limitations. SO, we switched to Anthem in September. I went to the seminar at St. Marys back in October, began getting all my paperwork together, did the psych eval, visited a nutritionist ('cause they said at the seminar I may have to do a 6 month dr. supervised diet), etc. Then Lana (those gals are GREAT at St. Marys!) called me and said the insurance said "no, insurance would NOT pay for it 'cause I was over BMI"....I was 62%. I was so upset and cried...building up for this emotionally, etc. The insurance policy said nothing about a cap on the BMI...it only said you had to be OVER 42%. When they got back with Lana (and the letter they sent me), they said I could not be over 49%. What a wierd and small window of opportunity! BUT, Lana (or Debbie?) asked if I would like for ObesityLaw.com to review my case and see if this group of lawyers would take my case to do all the appeals work. Yes, I said....I knew I could not afford a lawyer. Finally, the appeals all ran out and my case went to "independent review," which meant whatever these independent reviewers decided, I and the insurance company would have to go with their decision. The review came back in my favor the middle of March!!!! I have been so excited ever since. Now, back to November....I began working on losing some weight and have lost 40 pounds so far, so that got my BMI down to 57%. So, Dr. Lusco is to do my surgery on May 16 this year....could have booked it sooner, but with my job, I travel a lot and did not want to be on the road/in the air during those first few weeks. I am excited, hopeful, nervous, and prayful! I would love to hear from more of you locally. I live here in Louisville. KYsunshine

I just got word last week that I have been approved for the surgery. My Quest began 3 years ago....for gastric bypass. Two weeks before surgery, I got a call from the insurance company saying "oh, so sorry...we made a mistake...you can not have this surgery. we won't pay for this....etc." Devestated is not a strong enough word! Finally, last summer, two friends convinced me to try again. Before we signed up for our current insurance plan, i reviewed their entire plan, read everything the insurance company sent me and it said they will pay for bariatric surgery....provided BMI was over 42%...and a few other caveates, which I met. So, we signed up and I went to my first lapband seminar in October 2006. (I had decided NOT to do the gastric over the past two years and to go for the lapband.) Well, we began the full process, had the psych eval, the nutrition meeting, the everything else I had to have. Then, insurance came back and said they would not pay for OVER 49% BMI....this was NOT in anything they had in print. I was just totally devestated again (after all, I had asked them in person, had read the entire policy, etc.). My surgeon's office directed me to ObesityLaw.com in California. Long story short, these lawyers accepted my appeals case and went toe to toe with the insurance company. It went through the whole appeals process and into independent review. Last week, I was at a conference and they called me to say "we won!" Because I travel throughout the school year, I called the surgeon's office and scheduled my surgery to happen May 16, 2007. I am excited and using the time between now and then to read more and more and prep in every way I can. Now, once I was turned down last October/November, I chose not to give in to the food and began a weight loss program under a doctor's care. I am down from 62% BMI to 57% presently (lost 40 pounds) and hope to lose more prior to prepping for surgery. At first, I told myself, "Okay, you can have all those favorites a few more times before surgery." But, then, I thought better of it..... So, I am happy to find this forum and hope to read everything I can before my day in May. KY Sunshine Top weight: 386 Current: 344 Goal: 180